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Green Smoothie Prep

I’m off in sunny Jamaica, thank goodness!! Last week was rough and I was really looking forward to this vacation, but do not fear, I have left you in some wonderful hands today!  I’m so excited about this post from Kitty @ Joel + Kitty and I love that she is another Mississippi sister!  I cannot wait (well, maybe I can) to get back from Jamaica and give this green smoothie prep a try for a quick breakfast or after work snack when I need it.

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Green smoothies.

They’ve been all the rave, haven’t they? I totally get that they are full of vitamins, minerals and all the nutrients my body needs. I know that they give me the extra energy I need to chase kiddos all day. I’m even totally convinced they make me feel nourished and set the tone for a more mindful healthy day…yet, 99% of the time I am too lazy to get my blender out and care for myself…

That is, UNTIL, one Sunday evening I had a light bulb moment.

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Every Sunday night I sit down for 15 minutes to Meal Plan, and often I incorporate lots of freezer meals, because, well, I love freezer cooking. I was trying to think about how to incorporate more veggies in the week, and then thought, “Why not marry freezer meals and green smoothies?” And the nourishing habit of self care also known as Sunday Night Smoothie Prep was birthed.

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I mean, why lug out all the spinach, kale, berries, chia seeds, flax seed, etc. etc. multiple times per week when you can get it out once on Sunday evening, divide it all into individual bags, zip them, label them and throw them in the freezer?

Then, as you’re scrambling to get the kids to school and the last thing you’re thinking about is how to mother yourself, just pull a smoothie bag out, add some water, orange juice, and maybe even 1/2 an avocado and enjoy!

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It’s like putting 20 minutes of your life on cruise control! Cheers to a new weekly ritual that boosts your energy and nourishes your body!

  • What are your favorite things to throw in a smoothie?
  • Any other nourishing traditions or rhythms that help you put daily tasks on cruise control? I’d love to hear!

headshotKitty is a missionary, momma and majorly obsessed wife. She and her family enjoy life and ministry in Oxford, Mississippi. She says blogging is cheaper than therapy and you can hear more about bible studies, praline pecan bacon and her babies at Joel + Kitty. (or whatever you want to say about me here.)

 

 

Engine 2 Stuffed Bell Peppers

Helllloooo There!  How is your week going so far?  Mine has been pretty great, my Monday wasn’t a typical Monday – I didn’t have any “oh, it’s just a Monday!” thoughts and we weren’t overly busy at work and I was able to get some other things done that I usually post-pone at work.  After work, I headed to the Chiropractor and he said I’m looking good with my knee and he can tell that I’m taking initiative to strengthen it up (my sore muscles can certainly attest to that!) and he said I don’t have to come back for 2 weeks and then we’ll spread it out to once a month.  I’ve been seeing him twice a week and then once a week, so I’m making improvement!  Once I feel stronger, I’ll be able to slowly start running again on my own.  After my appointment, I headed straight over to the 4th week of the Engine 2 Diet Meet-up!  The topic was on fitness, so I enjoyed that a lot.  I love incorporating healthy eating and fitness into the same discussion.  The speaker mentioned a Reformer Pilate’s class at our local Y and it sounded really cool, I’m definitely putting that on my list of classes to try – I’ll go check out the schedule after this post.

I have a deliciously healthy recipe for y’all today that is Engine 2 Diet approved and full of flavor!  I’d like to also mention that it was quick & easy to make!

stuffed-bell-peppers

Servings: 2 Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

  • 2 Bell Peppers
  • 1 Tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of frozen corn
  • 1 cup of cooked brown rice
  • 2 Poblano Black Bean Burger
  • 1 tbsp Cumin
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Sea Salt
  • 1 tbsp Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Paprika

Directions

**Preheat oven to 350 degrees**

1. Start by cooking your brown rice.  I did 2 cups of water to 1 cup of dry rice and it simmered for 30 minutes.

2. While the rice is cooking, prep the rest of your stuffing – defrost the black bean burgers and chop, chop the tomato, core the bell pepper and flatten the bottom so it stands upright.

3. Mix all stuffing ingredients together – vegetables, black bean burger, and spices

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4. Overstuff the pepper because it will cook down just a bit and once you start eating, you’ll have plenty of bell pepper to eat with the excessive stuffing.

5.  Bake the Pepper for 20 minutes.

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ENJOY!  I was very impressed with the flavors & the texture of these Engine 2 stuffed bell peppers.  Look how beautiful and vibrantly colored this dish turned out!  I have an intense love for bell peppers – I’d never had an orange bell pepper, but it was just as delicious as the green or red.  I will add bell peppers to just about any dish, so I love making it the star of the show in this simple recipe!

  • What would you have stuffed in this bell pepper?
  • Have you tried Pilate’s Reformer?  Thoughts? Tips?

I said no to Peanut Butter Cake!

Hey there!

How is your Tuesday morning shaping up?  I’ve already enjoyed a delicious breakfast and coffee, so I’d venture to say I’m doing pretty well, although I’m heading into work a little early this morning so it’s going to be a fairly long day!  I have my second Chiropractor appointment this morning and I’m hoping to get the a-okay to run again!  If I do, I’ll be screaming it from the roof tops so you should know pretty soon too!

Today is Day 2 of the Engine 2 Diet and so far so good!  Here’s a quick run down of my food from yesterday (Day 1):

Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin Ezekial Bread + peanut butter + banana + cinnamon w/ a cup of coffee flavored with almond milk and cinnamon

Snack: Clementine + half a cucumber

Lunch: Whole Wheat crackers + peanut butter + a Lara Bar

Snack: Clementine + half a cucumber

Dinner: Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Sauce + Leafy Green Salad + Tangerine Vinaigrette dressing

Dessert: Kiwi

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I decided to keep track of what all I turn down over the next month so I can realistically see what all I would have eaten and how many calories I would have taken in.  I’m sure it’ll be shocking once I add it all up at the end of the month.  I remember during the Health Starts Here challenge that I turned down A LOT of junk food mostly and I wish I had kept a journal of what I said no to so I could see the real impact a plant-based diet made in my life.  I know one thing… I turned down this beautiful peanut butter icing cake and opted for a kiwi.  If that’s not self-control then I have NO IDEA what is!

peanut-butter-cake

I am concerned that I’m not getting enough food.  Don’t get me wrong, I felt satisfied pretty much all day, but I also felt like I missed out on some important nutrients so I need to work on that.  I know last time I felt the same way until eventually I got the hang of it and it became relatively easy to get enough nutrients during the day.  It’s a learning process and takes a lot of effort, but it’s entirely worth it!  I’m excited to see how I feel at the end of the challenge – it’ll end about 2 weeks before my Marathon so I’ll be nice & healthy for it!

Here are some dessert recipes I look forward to trying on the Engine 2 Diet so hopefully I won’t need beautiful peanut butter cake:

  • What would you miss most on the Engine 2 Diet?  Dairy, Processed Foods, Sugar, Oil, or Meat?
  • Have you been to a Chiropractor?  Did it seem to help the issues you were having?

I definitely miss sugars the most, I have such a sweet tooth.

I’m really hoping the Chiropractor will help my knee pain and get me back to running.  I’m also hoping that I see such a drastic difference in my stride since I’ll be properly aligned.  It amazes me that I’ve been running with these issues for so long that surely this will be such a shocking improvement on my first run back!

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The views and statements expressed on No Bologna are my own. You are reading No Bologna at your own risk and I am not providing any type of professional advice. Unless otherwise noted, all material on No Bologna may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent. I do occasionally have affiliated links on my blog - this does not raise the price of the product, I simply get a very small commission from the regular retail price if something is purchased using an affiliated link on my site. I appreciate any support by you in regards to affiliated links.